Disney's 'Onward' Is the Top Draw -- WSJ
March 09 2020 - 2:02AM
Dow Jones News
By R.T. Watson
This article is being republished as part of our daily
reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S.
print edition of The Wall Street Journal (March 9, 2020).
Walt Disney Co.'s latest Pixar movie "Onward" took the No. 1
spot at the box office over the weekend as the number of
coronavirus cases continues to rise in both the U.S. and
abroad.
Mustering decent ticket sales for a March opening, "Onward"
grossed $40 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to
preliminary studio estimates.
By regular standards, "Onward" may have performed reasonably
during its first weekend at the box office, especially considering
that some health officials have cautioned against public
gatherings, sparking a string of event cancellations including this
year's South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
But when comparing "Onward" with its peers, the movie logged the
third-worst domestic opening among the more than 20 films released
by the prolific Pixar Animation Studios, most famous for having
created the much-loved Toy Story franchise.
Without adjusting for inflation, Pixar's worst opening so far
has been its first film, 1995's "Toy Story" which grossed $29.1
million in its first weekend in North American theaters. The
studio's best ever debut is "Incredibles 2," which earned $182.7
million in ticket sales in 2018, according to media-measurement
company Comscore.
"Onward" also grossed an additional $28 million from 47 overseas
markets, bringing its global total to $68 million, according to
Comscore. Due to coronavirus concerns abroad, Disney wasn't able to
open "Onward" in key markets such as Japan, South Korea and
Italy.
Releasing "Onward" in China, the world's second-biggest
box-office market, remains up in the air as the nation's nearly
70,000 theaters have been shut due to the coronavirus outbreak.
With characters voiced by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland -- who
breathe life into animated elf siblings dealing with the loss of
their father -- "Onward" was inspired by director Dan Scanlon's own
childhood experience. The movie has received strong reviews and an
A- CinemaScore.
"We're very encouraged by how the audiences are responding with
really good word-of-mouth, and as families start their spring break
holidays, it looks to set us up for a good long run," said Cathleen
Taff, Disney's head of distribution.
To be fair, ticket sales for "Onward" could have also been
affected by its unique release date, according to Comscore analyst
Paul Dergarabedian. It is the "first Pixar movie in the studio's
25-year history to open outside of the summer or holiday corridor,"
he said.
Looking ahead, theater owners in North America and abroad are
facing a particularly unpredictable set of hurdles as authorities
and medical professionals attempt to contain the coronavirus
outbreak.
MGM Holdings Inc. said a few days ago it was postponing the
release of the 25th James Bond film "No Time to Die" until
November. The movie had originally been slated to premiere around
the globe in April.
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, Disney was facing a
potentially down year. In 2019, the studio dominated the market
with a string of hits including Pixar's "Toy Story 4," "The Lion
King," "Frozen 2" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." This
year, Disney's slate features fewer remakes and sequels from
established brands.
Perhaps Disney's two most recognizable titles this year include
a live-action remake of the 1998 animated film "Mulan," scheduled
to be out in theaters at the end of this month, and "Black Widow,"
an Avengers spinoff starring Scarlett Johansson, which is set for
May.
This week's second-best-performing film at the domestic box
office was the thriller "The Invisible Man," starring Elisabeth
Moss. Produced by low-budget horror-hit factory Blumhouse
Productions, the movie -- which cost just $7 million to make -- has
grossed a total of $52.7 million in the U.S. and Canada after two
weeks in theaters, according to Comscore.
Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, which boasts a long
successful relationship with Blumhouse, distributed "The Invisible
Man."
Warner Bros., run by parent company AT&T Inc., scored third
place at the box office with the well-reviewed R-rated drama "The
Way Back," starring Ben Affleck.
Corrections & Amplifications Elisabeth Moss stars in "The
Invisible Man." An earlier version of this article incorrectly
stated her name as Elizabeth Moss. (March 8, 2020)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 09, 2020 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)
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